The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change report on extreme weather events resulting from human activity should motivate the Barnett Government towards effective carbon policy for Western Australia, Greens MLC Robin Chapple said today.
“The evidence on anthropogenic climate change, and its impact on weather severity, has been in for some time now, but Mr. Barnett’s coterie of denialist ministers have wilfully let this evidence pass over their heads until now,” Mr. Chapple said.
“The latest IPCC report clearly demonstrates that this kind of wilful inaction can only continue at the expense of many lives and many dollars from more frequent and severe weather events.”
“To put it starkly, further laziness on emissions in a State with a runaway emissions rate and which exports fossil fuels to other countries, will put lives at risk at home and abroad.”
“This is a Government which has buried the advice of its Office of Climate Change, permitted unsustainable industrial expansion in the regions, done nothing to mitigate Perth’s car addition, and is doing its best to kill off the renewable energy sector in WA in favour of dead-end coal and gas energy.”
“Most damningly, the Barnett Government refuses to comprehensively measure our present or projected emissions. How can you have a carbon reduction strategy when you don’t know your starting point?”
“In a State which at the best of times faces a yearly toll in property and lives from cyclones, drought, floods, and bushfires it is criminal for any Government to ignore, or worse to encourage a process that will increase the severity of these weather-related hazards.”
“Taxpayers will no doubt be obliged to foot the bill for damage from climate change-fuelled extreme weather.”
“The International Energy Agency and many others have shown that cutting pollution can be efficiently and effectively using a carbon price and a suite of complementary industry policies to build the clean technologies we need.”
“Thanks to the Greens we have a carbon price; now it’s up to Mr. Barnett to take a stand on emissions and deliver an effective suite of policies suitable to conditions in Western Australia.”
“It’s only with such policies, and bringing renewable energy online fast that we can hope to ease the devastating impact of increasingly severe weather.”
For more information please contact Robin Chapple on 0409 379 263 or 9486 8255
